Directions for the extension walk Beacon Hill The village of Beacon Hill grew rapidly from nothing to become a residential For the extension walk do not turn left at **. (A) Continue Beacon Hill area in the 1880s. So far as is known this thriving community has no a little further downhill and turn first right, beside a wire ancient history. The parish church of St. Alban's was constructed in 1906 to designs by Coleridge. Walk fence, and go through a 'green tunnel' of trees. Follow the fence, ignoring any side paths. (B) Ignore a right-hand fork Hindhead and Haslemere Area where you can see some riding stables down in the valley The Hindhead and Haslemere area became popular with authors and artists in the late 19th century, when the railway opened up this part of Surrey. on your left. Continue, passing through broken gate posts Haslemere is an attractive old market town nestling near the point where at the bottom of the hill, where you turn left towards the three counties meet. It was described in an early visitor guide as the 'fashionable capital of the beautiful Surrey highlands' and now lies within the lane. (C) Turn right at the gate onto the lane and continue, Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Much of the keeping the road on your left. Soon you will come to a lovely countryside around this area is now owned by The National Trust. junction of paths and the gates into Windy Gap. Go Dickens Farm through the gates and straight ahead on the finger-posted Very little is known of this farm in the valley. Field systems like this have footpath, keeping the road on your left. Dogs need to be been used for hundreds of years where there is a supply of water and fertile land. The National Trust is now managing these fields to encourage wild on a lead in this grazed area. (D) At the fork, bear right on flowers, butterflies and insects. a path winding gently uphill through the gorse. At the fence line turn right uphill and follow the path round. (E) There Lime Kilns Chalk (limestone) was baked in kilns such as this to produce quicklime is a bench here, where a path joins you from the left, which was put on the fields to neutralise the naturally poor acid grassland through a gate in the fence. Continue on the path back (due to the underlying sandy geology). When limestone (calcium carbonate) is heated a process called calcination occurs where the along the top of the ridge, below the trees. There are three carbonate is broken down into calcium oxide (quicklime) and carbon seats on this stretch which make a good spot for a dioxide. The resulting improved pasture contains clovers, richer grasses break/picnic with nice views. Eventually the path drops and other plants which help increase the cattle's milk yield. down to a gate. (F) Go through this, ignore the marked National Trust path ahead and half-left, and turn right. At the end of the For information on The National Trust please call 01428 683207 or visit fence go straight ahead on a path through the woods. www.nationaltrust.org.uk Continue, ignoring any side paths. The path bears round Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) slightly right, below Whitmore Vale House hidden in the For information on the Surrey Hills AONB please call 01372 220653 or trees to your left. Continue and you will eventually rejoin visit www.surreyhills.org your original track opposite the riding stables. (G) Turn Travel & Local Information left and retrace your way back along this path that you For information on Haslemere and the local area and other walks contact: A pleasant short circular were on at the beginning of the extension. Turn left back up the main track (H) for a very short distance to rejoin Haslemere Visitor & Local Information Centre walk from beacon Hill with the main walk, continuing with the directions from **, but (Funded by Haslemere Town Council & Haslemere Initiative) at Haslemere Museum, 78 High Street, Haslemere, GU27 2LA an optional longer extension turning right at first instead of left. tel: 01428 645425 www.haslemere.com/vic through woods and heath For local train and bus information call Travel Line South East on 08706 Follow the Countryside Code 082608/0871 200 2233 or visit their website: www.travelline.org.uk Compiled by; Haslemere Visitor & Local Please There is a selection of shops selling food and drinks in Beacon Hill; Information Centre also take-aways, restaurants and pubs nearby. •Be safe - plan ahead and follow any signs. Published by; Supported by; Supported by; •Leave gates and property as you find them. The Woodcock Tel: 01428 604079

•Protect plants and animals, and take your litter home. Refreshments and accommodation are available in Hindhead and nearby TOURISM •Keep dogs under close control. Haslemere. SOUTH EAST •Consider other people. Beacon Hill Road School Beacon Hill Park in the car park behind the Beacon Hill shops (turn To Haslemere A287 1 Almost immediately the path forks off the A287 into Beacon Hill Road, take the first left, 2 by a National Trust post, take the opposite the school, and first left again, signposted car Walk more obvious path to the right of park and recycling centre) and take the alleyway from Shops the post. Follow this down through the car park through to the shops. Turn right along the trees until you join a wider track Beacon Hill Road to its junction with the A287, turn Car This pleasant short circular walk is 2km (1.3 miles) 2 at a bridle barrier. 3 right again and almost immediately cross over (taking 1 Park long and takes approximately 4 -1 hour. It starts from great care). You are aiming for a path between two the shops at Beacon Hill (off the A287) where you can large trees to the right of the telephone box (as you Pub get refreshments and park nearby. The route is look at it from across the road). covered by OS Explorer map 133. The extension, A287 which takes you through heathland and woodland, is To Not to scale F an additional 2.5km (1.6 miles) long and takes arnham 1 approximately an extra 1-1 4 hours. 7 Much of the walk goes over uneven or hilly ground; it 3 Turn right up to another bridle 3 is therefore not recommended for pushchairs, barrier and turn left on the wider, wheelchairs or anyone with walking difficulties. Please main track (Boxall's Lane). Follow it for some distance wear appropriate footwear and take care crossing the as it curves downhill. Note the road. During and/or after wet weather some areas old boundary banks all around this area. Use the path on the can become particularly muddy. There is a climb at left bank to avoid the very 6 the end of the walk and the extension has one steep rutted muddy stretch climb and a couple of gates to negotiate. if necessary.

Main Route Additional Route

7 Continue on the path as it winds uphill and curves left, Christmas ignoring any side paths. Note the path Tree is now wider, giving access to the farm, Field with stones added underfoot for traction. Pass some gates and after a while take a E path to your right (slightly back on yourself). At this point you are just within sight of the 5 bridle barrier (ahead) that you passed earlier in your walk. Take the footpath up through the trees, forking slightly left and then right. Shortly you will return F past the NT post near the telephone box and back to the road and Beacon Hill shops.

4 6 After a while you will pass a private lake on your right partially hidden behind a fence. Continue, bearing slightly left and come into a small opening. Ahead of H A you notice the remains of a lime kiln and one remaining D wall of the ruined Dickens Farm to its left. There are also some small fruit trees on the left which were part G of the farm's orchard.

B A line of wooden fencing on your right ends just After turning left follow the footpath through the trees, 4 5 C before the lane gets to the bottom (you can just forking slightly left up towards a field fence. Continue spot a bridge over a stream ahead); 60m beyond the on this path as it winds up the valley, with fields on (**) This is the point where the end of the fence (**) turn left (slightly back on your left and the stream in the valley to your right. extension breaks off and returns. yourself) at the break in the boundary bank and a Note the big conifer in Christmas Tree Field. National Trust post.